National Community Action Month

Available now!  The 2008 NCAM Planning Guide

We're providing logos to use on your promotional materials. For the NCAM 2008 logo shown at the top of this page, click here.

For the Root Out Poverty button, click here.

To download the Executive Summary of the Rooting Out Poverty report (page 10 in the NCAM Guide), click here.

2008 Sargent Shriver Achievement and Jayne Thomas Grassroots Volunteer Recognition Awards
Nominate your outstanding program participants and volunteers for the Community Action Partnership's Sargent Shriver Achievement and Jayne Thomas Grassroots Volunteer Recognition Awards.

Click here for more information on the Sargent Shriver Award.
Click here for more information on the Jayne Thomas Award.


National Community Action Month (NCAM) was created in May 1997 as "National Community Action Week" and became "National Community Action Month" a year later. NCAM offers the network a specific time frame to spotlight the creative ways Community Action is helping people and changing lives, to demonstrate our strength and unity as a network, and to increase our national visibility as the country’s largest anti-poverty network.

CAAs embody the spirit of hope for 10 million Americans everyday. But May is our chance to take time out to “toot our own horns” and show the community what we do. The month is filled with a variety of events, special projects, and ceremonies highlighting our success stories, partnerships, volunteers, and program participants.

NCAM is a time for us to increase media coverage and expose our work to a wider audience. Most importantly, it shows us and the rest of the community how we live the Promise of Community Action:

“Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.”

This year’s NCAM celebrations will again be very special as CAAs continue to host their events under new names that include “Community Action Partnership…”, increasing national awareness and bringing national focus and identity to increasing numbers of local events.